56 MODES OF FOREST PLANTING. 
grown forests, it is not in the bare pulverized spots that the 
young plants are found; in such they are ejected, and die ; 
but, associated with the brown heath, they spring up and 
prevail without any artificial aid; and it is into this descrip- 
tion of soil, which nature has adapted for the seed-bed of 
pines, that plants are usually inserted by notching. 
The first over-stock of plants that I had in the nurseries 
at Forres occurred in the year 1830. During that year I 
planted, by contract, about two millions of plants, which were 
all inserted into moorland by the hand-iron. The largest ot 
these plantations was made on the estate of Ballindalloch ; it 
measured about 400 Scotch acres, and contained 1,400,000 
native Scotch pine and larch plants. They were notched 
into the ground at the average distance of about four feet 
asunder. The plants were distributed in kind and size to 
suit the quality of the ground and the state of the herbage ; 
and on an average each Scotch acre contained, as under, at 
the following prices, for plants, carriage, and planting :— 
500 one-year transplanted larches, . . £0 
1500 two-year seedling do., 
500 one-year transplanted Scotch firs, 
1000 two-year seedling do. 
Carriage of plants to the moor, 
Expense of planting 3500, 
ooooc oc 
Noe eH Owe 
Pro o Oo Oo 
Oo 
Total expense per Scotch acre, £0 10 
This plantation was well fenced, partly with stone, and partly 
with turf dikes, and as no drains had been formed, I had 
liberty in planting to avoid all spots too wet for the growth 
of timber; these, however, were of no great extent. The 
soil has generally a good slope or declivity, and ranges from 
200 to 550 feet above the river Spey, which runs near to it. 
The ground is probably from 350 to 750 feet above the 
sea level, and about 25 miles distant therefrom. This plan- 
tation was begun during the last week in February, and the 
weather being altogether favourable it was completed in 
